Freezing bluegill and bass

[Charlie Two Tracks]

When I fillet out bluegill or bass, I put about what Cindy and I need for a meal into a plastic freezer bag, cover with water and freeze. This works well but we now have three people eating here and that means that we are opening up two containers at a time. I can always eat more, but it would be nice to have a system that is more flexible. What do you guys do with your smaller fillets for freezing?

[kbstenberg]

CTT I do exactly like you. Sunnies are just as good cold out of the frig.

[kenjuudo]

Can't believe I waited so long to get a vacuum sealer for fish and game.

[Charlie Two Tracks]

Does the vacuum sealer work better than the water method?

[Bo1]

Charlie,
We use a vacume sealer and cover the filets with water first.
Works great for us
Bo

[Hogdaddy]

Gallon jugs cut to put fish in and fill with water,, last a long time ; )
H/D

[kenjuudo]

Does the vacuum sealer work better than the water method?

The result is about the same, I divide into skillet size amounts, place the fillets in the bags right after rinsing, you suck a small amount of water out as you seal. There is no airspace if done right. For me the main advantage is the flat sealed bags take up much less freezer space. Another advantage is the thaw time, takes very little time floating in a few inches of water in the sink while prepping the rest of the meal for them to be thawed enough to bread and drop in the pan.

[Charlie Two Tracks]

Thanks kenjuudo. I have over 30 bags of fish in the freezer and would like to be able to save some room in there.

[winelover]

Put fillets in cardboard milk containers (or some facsimile, there of) . Fill with water, then staple shut.

Winelover

[oldarkie]

we put 10 crappie fillets in a quart freezer bag and cover with water,its good for two meals and a sandwitch.

[Wayne Smith]

I freeze fish dry, well wrapped. They get colder that way. The problem with water pack is that the contents never get much below freezing, thus never freeze 'hard'. This is what causes the easy thawing. Not good for long term storage, there are some bacteria who can live at just below freezing.

[MarkP]

When I was younger I remember my Mom putting bluegill fillets on a pizza pan or cookie sheet and would flash freeze them until they were hard. Then she would put them into clear freezer bags, take out as many as you need since they are not globbed together.

[BDJ]

I do the same as MarkP's mom, but we Vac freeze them. We do well over 100 lbs of Walleye a year plus a bunch of Yellow Perch. Lake Erie has been good to me.

[gbrown]

I use a Foodsaver vacuum system. I bought it directly from them. Supposedly it has an unlimited warranty. I bought it when I called their customer service for help with an old one that broke after warranty ran out. Again, supposedly, I am in the system and don't have to worry about proof of purchase. I think it was about 150-175. I seal up all sorts of leftovers, sausage, fish, etc with it. It has the accessory hose with it that allows me to seal canning jars with an additonal accessories for that. I use that to seal up opened crawfish/crab/shrimp boil mixes and spice mixes that I won't use for 6 months or so in canning jars. You can get both the wide mouth and narrow mouth lid size. It will keep them indefinitely. The meats/fish will last for 18-24 months if sealed correctly. Some meats I don't have to vacuum seal--they disappear within a year. Only thing about the Food Saver is the bags are a little pricey. I use Weston rolls I get at a local Gander Mtn.

[KCSO]

I have never found a way to come out even on frozen food. If I plan for two we have company and if I pack some up for company we use up the twos and are stuck with the big bags. Sorta like Nash... My ode to the ketsup bottle, first no'll then a lot'll .

[dale2242]

I freeze a lot of fish.. Crappie to salmon fillets.
I find the vacuum seal method to be the best for me.
I takes up less space in the freezer than the water pack method.
I take the fish and lay it on a wax paper covered cookie sheet and place it in the freezer until it is frozen enough to keep the vacuum sealer from sucking out the liquid.
Seal the appropriate amounts of the partly frozen fish in vacuum bags and freeze.....dale

[blackthorn]

The food saver bags can be resealed if you plan ahead a bit and make the original bag somewhat longer.

[popper]

You do use salt water, right? I always soaked in SW then gave then to MIL who froze what she didn't eat. Baking Northern in red wine works great also. Bake in foil with wine, drain about 1/2 way through the bake. Pulls out the oily taste, meat falls off the bones like rice.

[Ohio Rusty]

I do the same. I put my fish in a freezer baggie, put water in it, then close the zipper almost all the way. The last bit of open baggie at the edge I use to squeeze out all the air. Then I zip it shut completely. No freezer burn.
Ohio Rusty ><>

[paul h]

Does the vacuum sealer work better than the water method?

No. I freeze 100's of pounds of fish every year and have tried many different methods. The absolute best method is to keep the fish whole with the skin on. Freeze it hard, dip it in water to form an ice glaze, repeat a few times and then wrap it in cling wrap.

That said I often fillet and portion fish and use a foodsaver because I don't always want to cook up an entire fish, especially if it's a 20# or larger fish. Just cook up the fillets first as they are the most susceptable to freezer burn and a change in the fish texture when cooked.

If you are going to freeze the fish in water, make sure you've hard frozen the fish first. If the fish is soaking in water while it's freezing, some of the proteins will be leached out of the fish.

[Fishman]

Vacuum sealer for me. I freeze a lot of fish. Kenjudo's post is spot on as to the advantages over water immersion and freezing. I've eaten fish stored for three years that was fine.

[MaryB]

dip filets into ice water and place on waxed paper and into deep freeze. Wait for them to freeze. Dip in water again, place back on waxed paper but on th eother side and freeze again. Repeat3-4 times and then vac bag.

[Charlie Two Tracks]

These are great ideas. Any special vac unit or bags to look for?

[bearcove]

We have foodsavers. Wrap the fish in saran wrap then vac pac has worked best for me.

[MaryB]

I buy the 100 packs of bags from these guys http://www.goodmans.net/d/204/tilia-foodsaver-bags-rolls.htm

[Charlie Two Tracks]

I think that's the kind I'm going to go with MaryB. (Or something close to it.)

[MaryB]

I use a foodsaver machine, would like to upgrade to something semi commercial some day.

[paul h]

If you're going to be vac packing 100's of pounds of meat a year, then invest in a vacuum chamber sealer. Yes, at $1000 they are spendy, but they will pay for themselves over the years in less expensive bags that are also tougher than foodsaver bags, and they won't have to be replaced every few years like the foodsavers. They are also much faster, which is a benefit when bagging a couple hundred pounds in a session.